Shambhala Lineage

Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche

“The history and legend of Shambhala is based upon a great community that was able to reach a higher level of consciousness. This community could occur because its individual members participated fully in creating a culture of kindness, generosity, and courage.” – Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche

Rediscovering our wisdom and compassion

The ancient kingdom of Shambhala was renowned for the compassion and wisdom of its leaders and citizens. According to the legend of Shambhala, these qualities were the result of unique teachings on enlightened society that the Buddha gave personally to King Dawa Sangpo, the first sovereign of Shambhala.

These instructions have been preserved over the centuries and are held by a hereditary lineage of teachers that hold the title “Sakyong.” It is a royal title that means “Earth Protector.”

The current lineage holder is Sakyong, Jampal Trinley Dradül. Enthroned as Sakyong in 1995, he went through extensive training in both the East and West and holds a unique perspective on the universal values of the human spirit.

Sakyong Mipham is recognized in the Tibetan tradition as the incarnation of Mipham the Great, one of the most revered meditation masters of Tibet. His books include Turning the Mind into an Ally, Ruling Your World and Running with the Mind of Meditation.

The Sakyong’s teachings stress the widely held feeling that humanity is at a crossroads. He urges us to undergo a global self-reflection about our core principles, believing that how humanity feels about itself is critical for our future, and that of our planet. This vision of a society trusting and believing in its inherent worthiness is the basis of what the Shambhala lineage calls enlightened society.

A societal vision

The first Sakyong in modern times was the Tibetan meditation master, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche (the Tibetan title, Rinpoche, means “precious one” and denotes a rare and profound teacher). Prior to his escape from Tibet in 1959, he was the holder of numerous meditative lineages and leader of a large monastic complex.

Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche

“The world is in absolute turmoil. The Shambhala teachings are founded on the premise that there is basic human wisdom that can help solve the world’s problems… Shambhala vision teaches that, in the face of the world’s problems, we can be heroic and kind at the same time.” – Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

Having witnessed the demise of his own culture, and how full of turmoil and pain the world was, Chögyam Trungpa went into a great period of self-reflection and meditation. He came to realize that the ancient teaching of Shambhala were more relevant and necessary then ever, given the immense challenges facing the planet. Beginning in the 1970s he began to present a societal vision based on the Shambhala principle that proclaims the inherent goodness of all humanity.

Chögyam Trungpa felt that humanity was at a crossroads. If it wished to create a better world, it would need to base its approach on global respect for fundamental human dignity. This is the core message of Shambhala. His teachings were gathered together into his best-selling book Shambhala: the Sacred Path of the Warrior, and many other writings, films and recordings.